Fuel efficiency and the American driver

Fuel efficiency and the American driver

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More hybrids. More diesels. Smaller engines and fancier technology. And an initial sticker price increase that could total a couple thousand dollars.

Those are the likely outcomes now that Congress has decided to increase the national fuel efficiency standards to 35 miles a gallon by 2020, from the current average of 25.

The House and Senate, after months of negotiation and lobbying, agreed to the new standards late Friday night. The deal should spur resolution next week of a broad energy bill that includes proposals to use more biofuel in the nation's gas mix, eliminate tax incentives for the oil industry and require utilities to buy more renewable energy.

But the most closely-watched issue was fuel efficiency. The new standards could alter the economics of driving: The cost of new cars would at first increase but over time be offset by savings at the pump.

"The cost of the technology is dwarfed by the oil savings," said Ann Mevnikoff, Washington representative for the Sierra Club. "I think the American people would rather put that money into technology rather than see it disappear in oil."

Mevnikoff said by 2020 the country could save 1.2 million barrels of oil a day, or about the same amount the country currently imports from the Middle East. Even factoring in the technology costs, she said the savings would amount to $26.5 billion a year.

But the upfront technology costs could be substantial.

If the measures are enacted, the auto industry would give a strong push to its hybrid vehicles. Hybrids, which run on a combination of gasoline and electric power, usually cost about $2,000 to $3,000 more than conventional vehicles. Most (and least) cost-effective hybrids

Detroit would also likely roll out more diesel vehicles, which would also cost $2,000 to $3,000 more than similar gasoline-powered vehicles but would get much better gas mileage.

Other options include heavier marketing of smaller cars with smaller engines, and increased use of "cylinder deactivation" - technology that automatically shuts off cylinders in larger engines when full power isn't needed.

"The challenge for us is to make these technologies more attractive to consumers and get them to purchase these vehicles," said Gloria Bergquist, spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which includes most of the big domestic and foreign automakers. "There may be additional costs to those, which can start at a couple of thousand dollars. But consumers will benefit in the long run."

The domestic auto industry had long opposed fuel efficiency increases saying they would be too expensive and would compromise safety by pushing consumers toward smaller, lighter vehicles.

The measure seems likely to pass now that key congressional Democrats have reached an accord.

If legislation passes and is signed by President George W. Bush, it would mark the first major increase in U.S. fuel efficiency standards in more than three decades, said Mevnikoff.

It would also bring the United States closer in line with other countries, but would by no means make it the leader.

Vehicles in China average around 30 miles per gallon, a figure that is set to rise to about 35 miles per gallon by 2009, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

In Europe vehicles average about 37 miles per gallon and are set to get

50 miles a gallon by 2012. In Japan they currently average 45 miles per gallon.

Fleet-wide averages are so much better overseas because, by and large, they drive smaller cars, likely the result of much higher fuel costs. In Norway, for example, a gallon of gas costs over $8.

There's been some debate in this country as to whether higher fuel efficiency standards would result in people using less gas. Some argue a simple gasoline tax would be better, as American's will merely see their newfound mileage gains as a chance to drive more.

Reply to
Jim Higgins
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Technology will help, but a change in attitude would be even better and faster. Face it, most of us (including me) drive cars and trucks much larger than we really need and we're not ready to give them up.

In Italy in the spring I paid $6.40 a gallon. My cost per mile was the same as I pay here because instead of 25 mpg, I was getting 42 in a much smaller car. A couple of weeks ago in Amsterdam it was closer to $10. Next year I'm not going to Europe. The cost of the Euro is too high.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

It is actually the price of the chinese yuan you should be looking at. The dollar is on a slippery slope and gliding down. The rest of the world has been gradually changing their currencies away from Dollar to Yuan/Yen/Euro

The chinese hold the key with enormous amount of dollars they are beginning to change slowly. You will feel the chill coming very slowly They do not want to rock the boat too much It is really informative to watch he balance act through the currency graphs

Cars/Houses/food ad everything else is rising and will continue to do so and it is called inflation

The root cause is that americans have been printing too many dollars over the years to finance one war after the other Korea/viet nam/afghan/iraq and have left behind huge sums of dollars that are slowly coming home

The treasury can only account for about 10 to 20 percent of all the dollars it has printed Then there are a huge number of counterfeit dollars floating around.

Reply to
Gosi

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